Monday, April 30, 2007

Bill Moyers and prostitutes!

The thing about missing a couple of days of blogging is that stuff keeps happening. And sites with lots of posts that keep abreast of breaking stories get all the readers. Sadly, I don't have the time I did in the past. But here's a recap of recent stories and some other nuggets of news.

First up, Bill Moyers' special on the MSM playing eager dupe in the run-up to Iraq. And the remarkable way in which spreading lies to the public which helped facilitate a pointless war hasn't really been a bad career move for anyone. It aired last week, but the good news is that you can watch Buying Iraq online. Now that's what I call public television.

I'm sure everyone knows about the DC escort service that had a cozy relationship with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias. The sad part is that at this point I've pretty much lost the ability to be surprised by prominent Republicans with sleazy skeletons in the closet. Even the stranger-than-fiction twists of rank hypocrisy don't liven things up anymore. Or maybe it's just that another anti-contraception, pro-abstinence-only education headcase has a kinky story of illicit sex to sell. And I don't even mean Ted Haggard! I'm just talking about people BushCo hired! In this case, the headline says it all:

Bush's FDA Advisor On Women's Health Issues Accused By Former Wife of Serial Rape And Sodomy

And yes, online conservatives are already expressing shock and outrage that a public figure's sex life has become grounds for impea--I mean calling for his resignation.

Having read a few mystery novels in my time, I'm familiar with the gumshoe trying to get a list of clients from a madam bit. Usually that's just what they're willing to kill to keep secret, but you know... they're just novels. But thousands of clients? And the thing that interested me most about the article was this passage, which has largely escaped comment: the list of escorts included "university professors, legal secretaries, scientists, military officers." I'm sure there is a market for men who want to have a high-powered companion for high-powered Beltway events, but this is genuinely bizarre. If anyone has any thoughts on the significance of that bit, please share.